Why EDM Already Has a Huge Presence at the 2018 Winter Olympics

The Winter Olympics are upon us and we’re pretty excited! Let’s just say that there have been some things we’ve been noticing in the weeks leading up to the big event. And all of those things are leading us to make a pretty bold statement: the Winter Olympics is going to have a high presence of EDM this year.

Lets have a look at the reasons.

First off, NBC used ODESZA’s song Corners of the Earth in their promotions for the Winter Olympics. If there was ever a sign of the EDM scene finding a place in the Olympics, this is it. Not only that, ODESZA made a sync licensing deal with NBC Olympics. Check out the promo below.

This February, the world unites to feel the warmth of the Olympic spirit. #WinterOlympics

Secondly, this year is the first year that figure skaters are allowed to use songs with lyrics in the Olympics. Initially, the change was put in place in the 2014-2015 season. However, if you haven’t tuned in since the Sochi Winter Olympics took place, you’ll notice a difference. When the change initially happened, a lot of spectators and competitors questioned whether lyrics would attract a larger audience. In the event that happened, would lyrics come off as corny?

Unsurprisingly, public opinion is split on this.

In 2014, the New York Times had a conversation with Kurt Browning (Canada’s former World Champion) about the rule change. The main takeaway from the conversation? Lyrics in songs are a double-edged opportunity and while there is a chance of it paying off, according to Browning “lyrics and words artistically are an opportunity, but it’s also a bigger chance to screw up.”

What changes have we seen already from the rule change? This question brings us to the third (and final point).

There was a high presence of EDM at the \figure skating competitions last month. Most notable was Jimmy Ma’s routine featuring DJ Snake and Lil Jon’s song Turn Down for What. People were loving Ma’s performance all over the internet. Unfortunately, Ma placed 11th out of 21 skaters.

When the topic of figure skating comes up, all of us at DMNW travel back in time to a very unique moment three years ago.

For those of you that haven’t heard of this, Daniella Watters released Never Will Die, a tribute to her Yaiya (nanny). However, she was much more than a nanny to Watters and her family, who viewed Yaiya as a second mother, friend and adopted grandmother. Watter’s childhood dream was to be an Olympic figure skater who danced to her own music and the video for Never Will Die Watters released a very memorable music video that featured a longtime NorthWest treasure who goes by the name of Sasquatch (or Bigfoot, if you prefer).

Whether or not you’re a figure skating fan, it’s undeniable that the rule change has had a positive impact on the EDM community.

Do you think the rule change was a good move? Let us know in the comments!